Crossing Paths
by WilfredBramble
Summary: Nick and Jess meet a few years down the line.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Here is your angst warning. Just one of the ideas in my head since the Mars Landing episode.**

_Delta flight 1417 to New York La Guardia has been delayed…_

Well isn't that just lovely, Nick thought to himself. It seemed booking a long layover for the international part of his flight had been an excellent idea. As it was, he was enjoying a greasy cheeseburger at a chain restaurant inside LAX. He didn't normally eat food like this these days, but this is what people do he reasoned, they eat food that is bad for them on vacation. To be fair, he never felt like he was on vacation while waiting for a bird in his departing airport, but he was doing so with a delayed flight, so exceptions could be made.

It surprised him how much he was looking forward to going on a family trip to Europe. Sure, there was a high possibility that someone would wind up in a jail cell, but as long as no international incidents resulted, this would be a successful trip. Taking a large bite out of the cheeseburger, Nick washed it down with his drink. It reminded him of his recent life mantra, how it's the simple things in life that you have to enjoy. A cheeseburger outside of his usual diet was considered a simple thing in his world. Letting his old paranoia get the best of him for a second, he turned around to make certain his carry-on wasn't swiped away. Satisfied that it hadn't been disturbed, his was going to give his undivided attention back to the beef patty when he heard an all too familiar voice.

"Nick? Nick is that you?"

A small part of him regretted worrying about his stupid bag now. He turned back around knowing full well what he would see. He would see the same thing that he saw most nights when he tried to fall asleep. Sure enough, he saw that raven dark hair draping over that unforgettable face.

"He- Hey Jess," Nick said with some forced enthusiasm.

Jess walked slowly over to the bar stool near Nick, seeming a little unsure of herself in the situation. She continued as she sat down. "It's been so long, how have you been?"

Awesome. The dreaded small talk. It was all that was left of their broken relationship.

"I've been good," he mostly lied. "How about yourself?"

"Pretty good too. So where are you headed?"

"New York, and then Europe, starting in London." Jess shot him a surprised look that encouraged him to explain further. "Ma always wanted to go visit before she got too old, so we all saved up and taking her there."

Jess' eyes lit up in genuine excitement. "That sounds like so much fun! Good for you guys. So what else is jet-setting Miller up to these days?"

"Not a whole lot, I've been working IT for a small call-center here." Nick waited for the inevitable disbelief from Jess, which never came. Instead she wore another questioning look. "I got into it after going back to school a few years back. It's nice not having to live hand-to-mouth. What about you, I thought you and Phil moved back to Portland." He still hated saying his name. He also muted the urge to ask if she ever got that lake house.

"We did, but we brought the kids to LA to see Disneyland. We were going to fly out earlier this morning, but they overbooked the flight and since I already have a couple more days off Phil agreed to take the kids home. I stayed back for some vouchers and a later flight."

Nick shook his head in understanding, though Old Nick would have spouted off his opinions about how airline vouchers are an industry scam to see who will take the most abuse from the airline. Instead Nick didn't say anything, and took the final bite of his burger and fries. Hoping that he could remain civil, like he had since that night when the one thing he was certain he wanted slipped through his fingers. Hoping for a graceful out.

_Delta flight 1417 to New York La Guardia has been delayed an additional 20 minutes…_

You have got to be kidding me.

Sensing the tension in Nick at the public delay notice, she approached Nick in a way she thought for certain would put him at ease.

"Can a girl get you a drink, you know, for old time's sake?"

A predictable course of action from her he thought. Why wouldn't she offer?

"No thanks."

"C'mon Nick, it may even help you catch some shut-eye on the flight."

"I said no, Jess."

Getting a little agitated at his refusal, her voice started to rise. "No need to get defensive about it Nick, I mean if you just want to sit here and make love to your empty plate, who am I to judge? I just thought maybe we could sit like adults who once had a friendship and relationship and behave with some decorum, but I guess that is too much to ask! Sorry I bothered you!"

"I don't drink anymore Jess!"

A look of pure and utter shock is what Jess wore now. Noticing the slight scene that the two were becoming, Nick lowered his voice. "Sorry to get you so upset, but I will be declining the offer." A waiter who had stopped by to make certain nothing escalated further received a gesture from Nick indicating he wanted his Coke topped off. Even though alcohol didn't pass through his system anymore, he still used liquids as a crutch in awkward situations.

"I…I'm sorry Nick. I didn't know. I…didn't mean to shove it in your face like that…"

"No worries, like you said, you didn't know." Nick's voice had softened seeing the genuine concern in his ex-girlfriends face.

"So…" she opened cautiously, "I am definitely curious how that came about, if you don't mind sharing that is."

There she goes again, always wanting to talk things through. She always wanted to talk about feelings, unless it involved their once-future. Suppressing more anger from that night with a few deep breaths, Nick decided now was as good as any to tell her the truth.

"The last time I had a drink…was the last time we all played True American together," Nick stated to his empty plate, while taking a long sip of the syrupy sweet liquid. He assumed the full meaning behind his declaration was not lost on her, but he didn't look directly at her. Feeling no more inhibitions from the years of longing for Jess, Nick knew there was no more chance of them getting back together. It was time to take the closure that he deserved, to say the things that she never really gave him an opportunity to say.

"After the next day…I thought about how maybe if I wasn't hungover that morning, maybe things would have been…different. I also remembered how Schmidt ruined one of his chances with Cece because his boss got him drunk. I knew how big you were on second-chances, so I knew I couldn't waste mine like he did. I needed to have a clear head when it happened. Nothing was more important to me. But then that second chance never came. I waited and waited, but it never happened. I mean, you gave Sam a second chance for crying out loud…"

Nick took a break to rub his hands over his eyes, and finally glanced at Jess, a decision he immediately regretted. He could see that she understood how hurt he was, but underneath there was probably a layer of her that was hurt as well. He could see her fighting back tears, with a pleading look that screamed an apology. It was bizarre that they were having this discussion after so much time of acting like everything would go back to normal. Nick knew there would be no normal for him from that night on.

"So yeah, that's why I haven't drank since then." Nick was interrupted by the waiter placing his check in front him, which he quickly placed down his credit card. He needed to leave…soon.

"Nick…I don't know what to say. I had no idea…"

Nick snorted derisively. Not the right thing to say Jess. You had to have a pretty good idea.

Thankful that the waiter returned quickly with his receipt, Nick made certain to leave a decent tip, _because he was soooo cheap_. After finishing off the slip with his signature, he stood up, grabbing his bag. As he stood, he didn't want to leave her like this.

"Look Jess, I'm sorry I unloaded all that crap on you, but I have carried around a lot of that for a long time." She briefly looked Nick and nodded her head in understanding. "Honestly, I really do hope Phil makes you happy. Just understand that if we cross paths again, I can't promise these feelings will be gone. Please, just respect that."

Sniffling back a small cry, she finally broke her silence. "I will Nick."

Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out his lucky quarter. It was time to symbolize the unloading of his emotional baggage. He thought that maybe it would be fitting to let her do with it as she saw fit. Placing the quarter on the bar next to her hand, she recognized it almost immediately. Patting her hand and giving it a squeeze, he tried his best to make her feel the sincerity he felt for her well-being.

"Take care Jess."


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: It turns out I am a filthy, filthy liar. This is no longer a one-shot, and I will be doing one more chapter for this. My bad for having pants which are on fire.**

Watching the scene of a beautiful spring day in LA go by as she rode in a car would normally put Jess at ease, or at the very least in a good mood. Today, she wasn't sure what she needed to calm her nerves. It was damn near a guarantee that alcohol would be the first thing attempted once she arrived at the reception.

Today she would see some of her old friends for the first time in what felt like an eternity. Most notably, there was the old roomfriend who she hadn't seen since a chance encounter in LAX many moons ago. This certain former roomfriend was the reason she was in LA today, and the reason for her uneasiness. Continuing to notice the world driving by, Jess ignored her son and daughter's disagreement from the back seat about whose turn it was to use the gaming device.

"Guys, just share it like you agreed, or nobody gets to use it," Phil stated authoritatively. Sheepishly, the young boy handed to device to the younger girl. Jess' husband turned his attention to his daydreaming wife. "Everything alright honey? You didn't even flinch at our screaming kids."

Jess turned to Phil, blinking away her nagging thoughts. "Yeah, just…thinking…if he even wanted me to come…"

"Sweetie, he invited you. From what you have told of me, he doesn't seem like the kind of guy to invite someone to his wedding unless he wants them there. I don't sense any subversive motives," Phil reasoned.

"I know, and I'd bet you are right. It's just that the last time I saw him…well…it was a little contentious."

"I'm sure everything will be fine," he tried to reassure her. "If you want to leave at any point, I'll probably be sitting with the kids making awkward polite conversation with people I will never see again. Just say the word and we can get out of there."

Jess nodded her head, and returned her gaze to her window. This could get interesting.

…

Running ahead of her family, Jess found the entrance to the reception hall. She cursed the LA traffic that kept them in the car an hour longer than predicted. Bursting through the front doors, she spotted the restroom and ran inside, finding an unoccupied stall. Cursing herself for buying the larger drink at the lunch stop, Jess finished up and walked over to the sink. As she was washing her hands, the door burst open with a dark-haired woman in what was obviously a bridal gown and followed by what Jess presumed was a bridesmaid. The bride was a striking woman, with light hazel eyes. The bride seemed slightly flustered.

"No, no, no. You have to help me before anything else. It's my day and all!" the bride exclaimed.

"I'm sorry, Jenny's ex showed up. I have to bail her out…"

With her half-hearted apology, the bridesmaid ran back out the door. After a frustrated sigh the bride turned her attention to Jess, who was now kicking herself for not already leaving the awkward situation. Why did she always have to find herself in weird situations in bathrooms at weddings?

"Hey you, polka-dot dress. I need a HUGE favor. My ho of a bridesmaid has left me hanging, can you hold my dress so I can go pee?"

Not exactly how I thought I would get acquainted with Nick's wife, Jess thought to herself. Being Jess though, she was never one to turn down a stranger in need.

"Yeah girl, I got you," she tried to reply as smoothly as possible. Almost immediately, the bride turned to the nearest stall while Jess followed. After getting the fabric of her wedding gown situated so that she could relieve herself, an awkward silence fell between the two strangers. Jess fought all her urges to use her usual coping mechanisms as she thought none of them would help her here. Instead she decided to look anywhere except at the woman who was peeing.

"Thanks again, by the way. I know this is strange, but damn if I didn't have to go. Between pictures and the limo ride, I thought I'd never see a bathroom again."

"Hey, it's no problem. I've been there before." Jess thought back to her own wedding when Cece and Sadie helped with her bathroom breaks. She made a mental note to thank them as it seemed not everyone had as dependable of friends.

"So I don't recognize you," the bride said flatly. "That means you are someone's plus one, or you know Nick."

Well, time to find out how much she knows.

" I…uh….I was a roommate of Nick's. My name is Jessica."

The bride's eyes grew wider. "Wait, you…you are Jess? Jessica Day? I've heard…quite a bit about you."

Welp…she knows.

"Yeah…I hope it was at least…mostly good?"

Jess' uneasiness caused the woman to laugh heartily. "Don't worry about it sweetie. Nick thinks…very highly of you. I'm Natalie by the way."

"I assumed as much, the dress was kind of a giveaway. Pleasure to meet you, Natalie."

…

Sipping on her glass of rose', Jess was thankful Phil was in a sociable mood. He was doing a great job of relieving some of the stress of making basic conversation with complete strangers over a meal. She knew he wasn't thrilled to be going to her ex's wedding, but he was a trooper. Excusing herself from the table, Jess headed to the back porch of the reception hall for some fresh air.

Outside of meeting Nick's wife while Jess was holding her gown in the bathroom, the night wasn't too much of a disaster. Jess ran into Winston, Schmidt, and Coach, and had a nice chat with each of them. Those weren't the guys that were on her mind now. Looking out on the city scene from the porch of the country club she sighed, hoping to avoid another awkward situation with Nick when she got the chance to talk to him. Being as the day centered on him and Natalie, his time was occupied by many people.

"Hey there stranger," a familiar voice caught her attention. Turning around, Jess saw Nick in his tuxedo and a slight smile as he looked at Jess. His hair was a little ruffled from the long day of wedding activities and evening dancing.

"Hey Nick!" Jess said excitedly and nervously.

Nick closed the distance between the two and wrapped Jess in a slightly unsure hug. It caught Jess by surprise as she really didn't know what to expect. After relaxing for a moment she returned the hug, thankful for the familiar gesture.

"Well don't you look all fancy and handsome," she remarked honestly.

"I must say you look terrific yourself, Jess. I saw Phil and the kids earlier, who of course look adorable. I also heard you already got a chance to meet Natalie," Nick said with a mocking smile. This elicited an eye-roll from Jess.

"Seriously, why couldn't have I met her in the traditional way, like in a receiving line. Nooooo, it had to be in a bathroom stall while she's taking a wee."

Nick laughed at Jess' exasperation while taking a swig of beer. Jess couldn't help but join him in laughing off the absurd situation. They made small talk about the reception and their old friends until a comfortable silence fell between them. Eventually Nick became a little somber and piped up again.

"Jess, I need to…I owe you an apology for…the last time we met and the things I said, that wasn't right of me to unload on you like that and I'm sorry."

Jess gave Nick a knowing look. "I understand Nick. When things ended…it was rough, and you finally got an opportunity to speak your mind." Jess reached for one of Nick's hands and gave it a reassuring squeeze. "I forgave you the moment you said it."

"I figured you would, but it still sucks that I acted that way. I mean I never thought we would see so little of each other after I moved out." Nick took another swig and tried to lighten the mood. "I mean, hell, I hardly ever get to see Schmidt and Winston much anymore, and I still live in the same city with those clowns."

"I guess that's life sometimes. People get busy, and life just keeps rolling on. It sucks it has to be that way." Jess couldn't help but cringe at how pessimistic she just sounded, but it was the truth. Some very important people from her life were here tonight, and she rarely saw them anymore.

"It sucks…but then it gets better." Nick quipped while smiling, which Jess returned.

"I must say Miller, I am thrilled to see that you are doing better."

"Yeah, yeah I am. I'm really glad you came Jess."

Natalie busted through the doors to the porch and the sounds of the dance music came through with her. "Husband, I love this song and you are going to come dance with me." After finishing her command, she returned back inside.

"I was beginning to feel like I was monopolizing your time," Jess said.

"I suppose that is my cue," Nick replied right before finishing his beer and returning inside.

…

Returning to their dinner table, Jess saw Phil trying to gather all of their kids' possessions. He noticed Jess approaching.

"I saw you chatting with him outside. Is everything alright?"

"Yeah, everything's great. You ready to head out?"

"I think that's a great idea, the kids are fading fast"

Collecting their things, Jess and Phil made their way to the main entrance with the kids in tow. On her way out she caught Nick's eye and gave him a genuine smile and a wave, which he acknowledged by raising his beer bottle and returning the smile.

She didn't know when or even if she would see him again, but she was thankful for coming tonight. It was definitely worth it.


	3. Chapter 3

"Dad, why do you have to come in with me?"

"I told you Brad, there were some forms that didn't get filled out correctly, so I'm getting that taken care of right away."

Brad let out a over-dramatic huff. "I'm not a little kid. Do you know how embarrassing it is to be walked in to middle school by your parent?"

Nick subtly shook his head at his son's protest. "First of all, I'm your father so I get to embarrass you whenever I please. Secondly, we transferred you to this new school district to give you a fresh start. It's just easier for me to get all the paperwork sorted out since I'm here already."

"I mean seriously, you are taking a day off work to fill out some forms. Then you are going to go to a Dodger game without me? What is that all about?"

"Quit your whining kid. I have taken plenty of days off to catch a game with you before."

"Yeah, but only when the worthless Cubs are in town."

"Watch your mouth kid."

"It's not my fault they haven't won a World Series since 19-diggity-2," Brad mocked.

"It was 1908," Nick grumbled.

Nick had many exchanges like this with his only child. Perhaps in another life, he would have been harder on him for sassing so much. He really didn't mind though. Brad normally reserved it for when the two men were talking sports. Brad, much like his father, had tough time dealing with one parent being absent after Natalie left them both. Nick knew all too well what that was like.

Pulling his car into a vacant parking spot denoted with a "Visitor" sign, Nick and Brad exited the vehicle and started walking together to the entrance. This was going to be Brad's first day of seventh grade at a new middle school. Nick remembered hating middle school himself, like most people did. Still, he was hoping that Brad would have a little better time of it at this new school, away from his previous bullies at the last school.

The main admin office appeared just in front of them as they walked through the main doors, flanked by banks of familiar lockers. Walking into the main office, Nick spotted what he assumed was a receptionist and introduced himself.

"Hello, I'm Nick Miller and this is my son, Brad. Today is his first day here, and I had some forms I still needed to fill out."

"Well hello Mr. Miller," the receptionist greeted them. "What I'll do is grab your needed paperwork, and one of our other Admins will give your son a brief tour of the school before showing him to his new classroom." Getting up from her desk, the woman walked over to another office door and sneaked her head in. "Oh, and actually, I will have you meet the new principal. She always loves meeting the new students. Right this way!" The woman motioned the two guys over to the door, who obliged her and followed her to the office.

As Nick stepped foot into the office he noticed a petite woman behind a desk who was hunched over sorting through her file cabinet. Seeming to find whatever she was looking for, she looked towards her two visitors as she stood up, preparing to greet them. Nick almost stopped in his tracks when he recognized the face of the woman.

"Guys, this is Principal Day," the woman introduced them. "Jess, this is one of our new students Brad, and his father-"

"Nick!" Jess was as shocked to see him as he was her. The receptionist took the principal's exclamation as her cue to leave. Jess walked around her desk gave Nick a nod before greeting Brad. "We are very happy to have you are our school Brad. I think you will find this place to be very welcoming. I know I have."

Brad replied to Jess' greeting with a less than enthusiastic "Okay…thanks."

"I'm new here too, so if you need something my door is always open. I'll probably have to ask someone else to find whatever you are looking for, but my door is always open."

After Jess' greeting, another admin came in to take Brad to his first class, leaving Nick and Jess alone in her office.

"I had no idea you moved back to LA. When did that happen?" Nick inquired while taking the site of his old roommate in. Father Time had been kind to her it seemed.

"Just this year. I'm still swamped by all the catching up I have to do. It's kind of a madhouse in here."

"Well I understand, and I don't want to be in your hair." Nick was reluctant to see if she was in the mood for reminiscing. Seeming to read Nick's mind Jess broached the subject on his brain.

"Now isn't the best time but, I would love to catch up with you. Are you free sometime later today?"

"Yeah," Nick answered, trying to quell his enthusiasm. "I'll have to drop Brad off at soccer practice, but I am free after that."

"Cool, I found a little coffee shop not too far from here on 19th street."

"I know the place, 4:30 work for you?"

"Sounds great Nick."

...

Jess sat in her chair, staring out her office window. On the window's ledge was a picture of her with her two kids. It was a recent photo taken at one of her favorite beaches. Her kids were surprisingly receptive to the idea of leaving Portland to live in LA. Jess assumed it was the promise of less rainy days that finally sealed the deal for them. The smiles on their faces at the beach seemed like clear evidence to that point. After Nick had left, Jess spent the day busying herself with any task she could find, but she had finally found herself with some time to take a breather. If she was being honest with herself, she was dreading any down time that gave her ample opportunity and time alone with her thoughts.

Jess continued to stare outside, searching for nothing in particular. She closed her eyes and thought back to one of her more vivid memories of Phil...

_"So the doctors said they are going to try another round of treatment."_

_"Jess, sweetheart, there is something we need to talk about."_

_It was never unusual for Phil to talk to her with a very sobering tone these days, but somehow she knew she wasn't going to like where this was going._

_"If this treatment...doesn't work, I need you to promise me something."_

_"Anything Phil, what is it?"_

_"Promise me that you will do things that make you happy, that you want to do."_

_"I thought you were going to say something about always being there for the kids or something," Jess joked. She wanted nothing more than to divert from where he was headed._

_"Please, I have no fear you will do everything for them. I'm talking about you. Promise me you will make time for yourself, that you will make plans to take care of your own happiness."_

_"I'm sorry, I don't like thinking about this..."_

_"I don't either, but I need you to understand that all that would matter to me if I was gone is that you will do everything in your power to be the woman I fell in love with. That woman would not spend the rest of her life mourning her husband." Phil reached for both of Jess' hands. "If a man comes along who respects you, treats you like you deserve, and puts a smile on your face, don't shut him out of your life on account of me. Don't beat yourself up or feel guilty-"_

_"Phil, I can't even imagine-"_

_"Promise me, Jess. Promise me that you will live your life to the fullest, however you want to do it."_

_"Okay...I promise."_

Jess sniffed and wiped a few tears away as she thought about that day just over four years ago. After blinking away the last remnants of moisture, she pulled open one of her desk drawers and rummaged through until she reached the bottom corner. Pulling out the object of her search, she nodded slightly to herself as she stared at the coin Nick gave to her all those years ago. Tightly grasping it in her hands, she closed her eyes and took a few steadying breaths.

"Okay Phil," she said to her empty office, "I'm going to hold myself to that promise."

...

Entering the coffee shop, Jess spotted Nick at a small table near the front window. He noticed her entrance and gave her a small wave.

"Hey," Nick greeted her as she walked over to the table. "I took a shot in the dark and assumed you still drink tea."

"Of course," Jess replied, taking the cup of Chai from Nick. "Sorry if I kept you waiting."

"No worries. I got here a little late as well. I'm happy to report that Brad said he enjoyed his first day...for the most part."

"For the most part?" Jess questioned worryingly.

"Yeah, he said one of the science teachers smelled funny. I honestly didn't catch the name."

Jess didn't try to hold back the smile forming on her lips. "I'm betting it was Mr. Donaldson. I never enjoy his visits to my office."

Nick laughed at Jess' dig of her employee's hygiene. "So what made you decide to move back to LA?"

"Well,I was trying to move up from Vice Principal in the Portland school district, but the opportunities weren't presenting themselves. After Phil passed I decided to open my search, geographically speaking. Finally, I got offered the position at this district."

Nick made a half-turtle face at the mention of Jess' deceased husband. "I really regret not being there for you when that all went down," Nick said somberly. "I should have been a better friend, but I...the cracks in my marriage were starting to show around that time..."

Jess listened intently while Nick recalled what had to be a tough time for him as well. "I heard about...what she did to you, but I never heard anything specific."

Nick sighed heavily. He didn't expect the conversation to get so heavy so fast, but they definitely were catching up. "It's the old tired cliché'. I was in training in Dallas, came home early, and there she was with another man. I mean, there absolutely were problems before then but..." Nick trailed off, staring through the table.

Jess reached across the table and grabbed his left hand, gently grasping it. "We don't have to talk about it if you don't want to...I'm sorry."

"No...it's okay. It's just that the worst part about it all is that she doesn't want to be a part of Brad's life. I'm a grown-ass man, I can handle getting hurt. But Brad, he's just a kid, a good one at that. That's what pisses me off more than anything." Finally looking at Jess again, Nick felt more at ease. He saw the familiar look of his friend who just wanted to help everyone.

"Well, I can say I've walked a mile in your shoes about the cheating part, although Spencer feels like ancient history anymore."

"I have to be honest Jess. I thought about you a lot in the days after that. I thought about how, eventually, you picked yourself up carried on with life. I really needed to do that and not wallow in my pity. I had to be strong for Brad." Nick got nervous, thinking he may have crossed a line. "I'm sorry, is that weird?"

"No! No, not at all. Sometimes we need inspiration from our friends."

"Yeah, inspiration from you and your damn optimism."

Jess chuckled lightly at Nick's banter. "Well I'm glad to know I helped in my own special way."

The pair laughed together, almost like it was two friends busting chops back in 4D. Jess tried to quell her nerves as she thought about her next question.

"So are you...seeing anyone?"

"Nah. I uh, been on dates, but never anything too serious. What about you?"

"I'm kind of in the same boat. I always ended things, nothing ever felt...right."

Jess took the site of Nick in. Here was a man who had been hurt multiple times. By Caroline, by his dad, by his ex-wife, and by Jess herself. She thought back to when they fought about their fake future. She thought about how she always told herself how they had nothing in common. Watching Nick finish off his cup of black coffee, it was hitting her like a sack of potatoes how much they had in common, she was just too scared to see it. She never regretted marrying Phil, but now she couldn't help feel a little guilty for how adamant she was about them having nothing in common.

They both had fierce loyalty to their friends.

They both had been hurt by people they trusted.

They both had lived the lives of single parents.

They both had loved the other.

"Jess...thanks for meeting me here. It was good to catch up."

_Promise me that you will live your life to the fullest..._

Gathering her resolve, Jess mentally dug deep. It was time to take a risk, and keep a promise.

"Nick...would you be willing to give me that second chance?"

Nick's eyes grew bigger than Jess had ever seen. "Um..."

"Would you like to go on a date with me, Nick?"

"Ye...ye...yeah sure," he stammered out. "I'm sorry, you caught me off guard. I...I wasn't expecting that."

"Well...I thought I would make it easy on you. You never were very good at asking me out," Jess teased.

"For god's sake, you were wearing a towel."

Jess didn't bother hiding her pleasure in flustering Nick. "Yeah, and that make's you 0-for-1. My point stands." Jess missed this part of their relationship the most. She hadn't giggled this much in what felt like ages.

After cleaning up their trash, the pair walked outside and said their goodbyes. As Jess walked towards her car, she turned around and gave Nick one last wave. Nick surprised himself by how eager he was to reconnect with her, knowing full well how bad it hurt to lose her once. After finding Natalie with another man, he didn't know if he could ever open himself up to another woman again. The more he thought about it, it made perfect sense though. When things ended with Jess it hurt bad, but both of them were at fault. She wasn't Natalie, Jess didn't betray him like Natalie did. It just...ended. Seeing that sparkle in those blue eyes made it perfectly clear to Nick.

She would be worth the second chance.

**Thank you for reading. I know there is some heavier stuff in here, but it felt appropriate. Plus, kind of a happy ending.**


End file.
